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[bringingdowndisaster]

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[gentledawn]

"Now I want you to mirror me." Xingchen steps back, growing serious (though he adores that determination), "We are going to work on your muscles."

The motions are simple, but they exercise all the muscles Xue Yang will need.

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang is a fast learner. He always has been when it concerns something that actually interests him. He ends up mimicking Xiao Xingchen's movements quite well, though he doesn't have the same strength as the older boy does.

He keeps going though, even when his muscles start to ache.

[gentledawn]

"Alright, alright... Enough." Xingchen begins to worry after awhile, his hands coming to rest on those sore muscles. He gives the other boy some healing energy and smiles down at him.

"You will catch on in no time. But we must take it slow." for the sake of the Xue Yang's growing body.

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang pouts just a little, but he does stop when prompted. And he can feel the ache in his muscles... well at least until Xiao Xingchen touches him and gives him some of that warm healing energy.

"Fine," he says with a sigh.

[gentledawn]

"You've had a hard day." Xingchen reminds him, wrapping an arm around Xue Yang's shoulders, "I recommend you have a hot soak and then get ready for dinner. I can show you our animals after. They are so cute this time of year."

[bringingdowndisaster]

"Mm... okay." He leans into the older boy, suddenly feeling just how tired he actually is. "What kinda animals do you have?" he asks. He hopes they don't have dogs.

[gentledawn]

"Sheep, cattle, a few horses..." Xingchen begins, grinning, "And cats. Since the sheep are protected by talisman, we don't need dogs to keep the wolves away. In our barn, the cats keep the other animals company and they hunt mice."

[bringingdowndisaster]

"I like cats..." Xue Yang says softly. He'd made sort of allies with a couple of street cats in Kuizhou. He chased away dogs that tried to steal food from them or hurt their kittens, and they sometimes brought him food.

[gentledawn]

"Me too and ours are very friendly." Xingchen beams at those soft words, "We had a litter last Spring and they were adorable. I had a hard time leaving the barn."

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang brightens a little at the thought of kittens. "There was a cat who had kittens that I helped protect from some dogs that tried to eat them." He feels proud of that. The cat had been a rare friend on the streets, so it had only felt natural.

[gentledawn]

"Then you are already a friend to cats. They will show you their secrets." which are all really adorable. All the soft spots in the barn are known to them, for example, and they will share them with their friends.

Xingchen leads them inside and to the baths. He fills a tub with steaming water and smiles.

"Get undressed and soak."

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang brightens even more at that. Being a friend to cats sounds nice...

He follows Xiao Xingchen to the baths, and just as casually as he had done it in the room at the inn, he quickly and without modesty strips out of his clothing - though he leaves the supportive brace on his left hand on - and gets into the bath.

[gentledawn]

It will be a nice place he can go to relax, too. The cats don't demand lessons; just pets.

Xingchen shakes his head in amusement and helps Xue Yang with his hair and back. He glances at the hand, but decides to leave it. Xue Yang can tell him about it when and if he chooses.

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang is glad that Xiao Xingchen doesn't ask. He doesn't feel comfortable talking about it, or even just showing it. It brings up too much pain, and he's already spilled his guts once today.

Instead he leans back and enjoys the hands through his hair. They really feel nice... and it's relaxing.

[gentledawn]

It will mean more if Xue Yang shares on his own. For now, Xingchen is enjoying his friend's thick hair. He runs his fingers through it and grins when he notices Xue Yang enjoying it.

"You will be stronger than I am soon." and he will celebrate it!

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang laughs a little, and turns his face up to look at Xiao Xingchen. "I doubt that," he says, "but I'll be second best to you!"

[gentledawn]

"Why?" he purses his lips, almost pouting, "You can be as strong as you like!"

But he is a bit of a dreamer and there are limitations.

"You wouldn't mind that?" his cheeks pink and he smiles.

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang grins and shakes his head. "Nope! Gege is the best." He can tell that much even from just how little he's seen.

[gentledawn]

Xingchen smiles bashfully and kisses the top of Xue Yang's head.

"You can always call on me."

He will never leave his little brother to fend for himself!

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang grins happily.

"Who else would I want to call on?"

It's not like he knows anyone else on the mountain! But Xiao Xingchen is also the only one, so far, that he trusts even a little.

[gentledawn]

"You'll make plenty of friends." Xingchen loves that happy grin nonetheless, "The lessons help with that. We're usually put into teams." and given problems that are quite common, but difficult to solve.

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang pouts playfully. "But if I only want to be friends with gege?" he teases, though he does mean it - at least at the moment. He's already bonded to Xiao Xingchen.

[gentledawn]

"I'm never far from you, Xue Yang, I promise." Xingchen kneels down beside him so they are face to face, "If you want to depend on me, I won't fail you."

[bringingdowndisaster]

Xue Yang nods, turning around in the tub so that he can rest his arms on the side of it and look directly at Xingchen. "I believe you."

[gentledawn]

Xingchen dabs suds onto Xue Yang's nose, grinning.

"Thank you." he rests their heads together before standing up, "When you're finished, I'll help you back to our room."